Narcissism Is Not for the Feeble

But Letting It Go Is Even More Challenging

Narcissism is a heavy burden to bear in any place of leadership. It cripples credibility, curtails collaboration, crushes constructive criticism, and cancels cooperation.?

It is almost always bad for business and is a toxic potion in leadership.

Not only that, it obscures vision, muddles thinking, and distorts perception.?

So, how does one shake it? Is there a cure??

It’s not an easy cure.

When visiting the Rabbi, the elder, Nicodemus seemed to hint at the perplexity and impossibility of starting over.?

Jesus responded that it was a Spirit thing, but new starts are possible.?

People can, contrary to conventional wisdom, change.

At the heart of the Christian gospel is a command attached to a promise in one word: repent.?

It means to change your heart, mind and direction. The command is: you must. The promise is: you can.

Letting go of a world view where we are at the center of the focus is a process of elimination and addition. It is total reorientation. It is the very essence of repentance.

Let’s start small with a proof of concept exercise.

15 MINUTES

IDENTIFY 4 AREAS OF LIFE WHERE YOU NEED WORK.

Take an hour a day in 4–15 minute slots to devote one of those slots to each of those areas.

It could be reading, exercise, family time, or anything not getting done?—?things most likely that need more than 15 minutes but areas where that would be a good start and a major improvement.

What difference could 15 minutes a day make in some area of your life?

This took less than 5 minutes.

I still have 10 to go.

Now, try it with an attitude?

Pick one you need to change.?

State it.

What would be the antithesis of that attitude? What would you replace it with?

Put that new attitude into a statement. Make it an affirmation of a future hope, stated as a present reality.

Write it down.

Read it out loud 5 times.

Think about it. Then, imagine 1–3 life situations where you are responding to circumstances with that attitude.

Congratulate yourself. Enjoy the moment. Imagine better results that from the exercise of your old toxic attitude. Feel the feeling of gratification.

Imagine how this change is going to effect your business and leadership.

How will it change your approach?

Read the affirmation again and then say it out loud five more times.

Determine the find an opportunity to exercise it today.

After you do so, come home and make a journal entry about it.

After you have done this for a week, share your experience with a trusted positive person and ask them to be an accountability and encouragement partner in this endeavor, giving you positive feedback to which you will listen without responding.

Maturity does not happen overnight, but new beginnings can happen every day… for the willing.